First Steps

Ari and I don’t usually talk about our personal lives much here, especially not about politics, but I want to talk about it now.

A week ago, I cast my vote proudly and blithely assumed I would wake up Wednesday morning to confirmation of America’s first female president. Instead, my old friends Anxiety and Depression came to visit as I watched state after state go red, and they’ve been camped out on my couch ever since.

It’s been a rough week for me, as it has been for many people. I’ve never cried over an election before. It’s affected my job performance and my ability to write.

But I’ve reached the point of wanting something concrete to do, so I’ve decided to make a donation each month to a different organization that helps those who are endangered by Trump’s presidency. It won’t be a large donation because a) I’m an adjunct, b) I’m carrying a significant load of debt, and c) Torquere Press hasn’t paid me the royalties I was counting on to help me get through the rest of the year. But I figure every little bit helps.